Open Table vs ADR

[SothrnChic]

I have a couple of ADRs for restaurant in Disney Springs for my upcoming trip during Wine and Dine Marathon weekend. What is the benefit (other than the no-show policy) to book through Open Table vs keeping the ADR? Do they seat people with one before the other?? I noticed for Wine Bar George, you can chose the location of the table on Open Table, which is nice option as well.

 

[DisBuckMan]

No, they don't seat one over the other. The biggest 2 advantages that I know of for Open Table over Disney booking....

1. No no-show fee if booked on Open Table
2. In general, better availability for DS restaurants on Open Table over Disney, because the DS restaurants only release a small portion of their reservations to Disney's system.

 

[armerida]

I love the flexibility of Open Table over ADR's - can book, modify, cancel last minute. As PP said, availability as well. However, some restaurants (i.e. Jiko) only have very limited time slots available on Open Table, think 9:00pm -, versus full availability via MDE. Oh and you can earn rewards on Open Table which is nice!

 

[rwdavis2]

Open Table all the way as mentioned above.

 

[jerseygal]

Couldn’t get an ADR dinner through MDE for The Boathouse,but was able to get one through Open Table! Never been there, so figured “try something new”!

 

[FSU Girl]

Love booking through open table. I was able to change a reservation only an hour before our dining time, which really helped us out. Never had an issue with getting seated using it.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

As others have said, if you have the option to book through opentable, do it! No no-show fee and far more availability in dining times.

 

[SothrnChic]

You guys have convinced me to change two of my ADR's to Open Table. Homecomin' is not on there... so I will keep that one.

 

[gwb]

the main issue with open table is that it doesn't cover many of the dining options in WDW

 

[SothrnChic]

the main issue with open table is that it doesn't cover many of the dining options in WDW

What do you mean??

 

[gwb]

What do you mean??

you can only get very few restaurants at wdw by using opentable

 

[DisBuckMan]

you can only get very few restaurants at wdw by using opentable

Many of the resort and DS restaurants are included on Open Table, just no in-park restaurants are on there...which is expected.

 

[LuvTigger]

Thank you so much for this thread -- I had no idea that some restaurants are available on Open Table! This helped me resolve a scheduling issue with Flying Fish...I was able to find a better time on Open Table than I was through MDE!

 

[catfan98]

Can you still use DDP credits when you book on open table vs Disney? I would think payment would be the same either way but wasn’t sure.

 

[Moliphino]

Can you still use DDP credits when you book on open table vs Disney? I would think payment would be the same either way but wasn’t sure.

Yes. Your reservation method is completely independent of payment method.

 

[jlh512]

Open Table will close your account if you have too many no shows. I made the mistake once of not canceling a reservation and that's what they threatened, rightfully so. So just make sure if you don't plan on keeping the ressie make sure you cancel it. I have even canceled it 30 minutes before and didn't have a problem.

 

[shh]

EDIT: haha Jlh512 - you beat me to it...yours posted while I was writing this!

The only thing I like to mention about OpenTable is to encourage people to please still cancel the ressie in advance, if possible. I sometimes worry that if too many people book and decide to skip, but don't cancel, it'll eventually cost us all the wonderful no-fee ressie flexibility at some point.

 

[LovesTimone]

EDIT: haha Jlh512 - you beat me to it...yours posted while I was writing this!

The only thing I like to mention about OpenTable is to encourage people to please still cancel the ressie in advance, if possible. I sometimes worry that if too many people book and decide to skip, but don't cancel, it'll eventually cost us all the wonderful no-fee ressie flexibility at some point.

I agree with this, if you decide to skip or something comes up and can't make it, Please Cancel. This way other people can use it. If everyone just takes a minute to do it. It will prevent them from wanting to charge a fee for a no show. I think that this practice with some guest that where making several ADR's say for dinner, and taking the "lets see where we are at that time we are ready to eat" approach, played into the charging a fee for a no show, and the 24 hour mark for cancellations. My friends got hit with a 50.00 charge, she booked Ohana's for dinner time and her husband booked Crystal Palace for dinner the same time for dinner, on the way into Crystal Palace they tried to cancel Ohana's and it would not let them. Party of 5 = 50.00 charge... She did go to the desk at the resort before they left to try to get it removed, she made up some story about one of the kids being sick, but they charged the meal at crystal palace to the room with the magic band and of course the CM could see the charge date and time. The CM would not remove the charge. She was so mad... I did warn her you can't do that, and they will charge you. DH and I got charged once 20.00 for a ADR, for BOG... We had gotten up in the middle of the night and made a mad dash to Georgia when our DD went into labor, Grandson decided to make his way into the world almost 3 weeks early. We totally forgot about it. We were okay with it.

 

[shh]

She did go to the desk at the resort before they left to try to get it removed, she made up some story about one of the kids being sick, but they charged the meal at crystal palace to the room with the magic band and of course the CM could see the charge date and time. The CM would not remove the charge.

I'm really sorry for you, being her friend - you probably felt bad for her. But I'm 100% delighted that CM saw proof of her CP dinner and held firm. IMO, lying about a sick child is disgusting behavior - and hurts the next parent who's child IS legitimately sick but may not be believed by the CM because of fakers like this person.

People used to make several high demand ressies for a single timeslot, just for their own convenience, so they'd have choices of where they wanted to dine at that moment - with no consideration for anyone else. I used to read it on the boards for years - they'd recommend others do the same.

And that's exactly what led to the no-show charge. While I hate WDW's recent nickel & diming (resort parking fees, theme park lot increases, repeated tic increases,) this expense was not added as a money grab - it really was due to the flood of no-show reservations. People who legitimately wanted to dine couldn't get a spot.

I am sooo tired of narcissistic people who think the rules don't apply to them.
Ok..rant over.